Improvement in bottle-stoppers



W. H. HICKS. Bottle-Stopper.

No. 201,011. Patented March 5, 1878 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HICKS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN BOTTLE-STOPPERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 201,011, dated March 5,1878; application filed October 29, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. HICKS, of Brooklyn, county of Kings, andState of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Stoppersfor Bottles and other similar vessels, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the drawings, which form part ofthis specification.

My invention belongs to that class of stoppers in which a cap-piece iscombined with an elastic or compressible packing-piece provided with aflange, which is compressed between the depending flange of thecap-piece and the inner walls of the mouth of a bottle, and not over theupper edges of the mouth, so that the joint is not affected byirregularities or breakage of the said upper edges occasioned bycareless handling in bottling and packing.

My invention consists in the following elements (which are more fullyset forth and definitely pointed out in the claims): A cappiece arrangedto connect with a closing mechanism, and provided with a flangeprojecting from its under surface near its central portion; an elasticor compressible packing-piece, arranged at its upper portion to be heldby the cap-piece, surrounded by a flange thickened on the under sidenear its larger diameter, (which is not larger than the mouth of thebottle to which it is applied,) so that when rolled up its diameter isincreased by stretching, and when released it will return to itsoriginal diameter and shape; and a closing mechanism.

In order that persons skilled in the arts may make and use my invention,I will proceed to describe it, referring to the drawings, in which likeparts are indicated by similar letters of reference.

Figure l is an upright part section of my device, showing the stopperdrawn into the bottle to close it, with the packing-flange rolled up andcompressed between the depending flange of the cap-piece and the innerwalls of the mouth of the bottle. Fig. 2 is an upright View of same,showing the stopper above the mouth of the bottle ready to be forceddown into it, and the packing-flange in its natural position beforecompression. Fig. 3 is asection al View of the packing-piece on avertical center line. Fig.4 is a top view, and Fig. 5 a bottom view, ofthe packing-piece.

A is the cap-piece; B, the depending flange surrounding the opening inthe cap-piece. G is a closing mechanism connected to the cappiece andthe bottle. H is the upper part of the packing by which it is held tothe cappiece. E is the bottom portion of the packing -piece. D is thesurrounding packingflange, thickened at its larger diameter, preferablyon its under side only, but may be thickened on both sides, or on onlyone.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The compressiblepacking-piece is fitted to the cap-piece, and the stopper connected tothe closing mechanism, and adjusted so that the packing-flange iscentral over the mouth, as shown in Fig. 2. The stopper is then forcedinto the bottle-mouth by the closing mechanism, as shown in Fig. 1. Thusby the depression of the central part of the cap-piece thepacking-flange is compressed between it and the inner walls of the mouthof the bottle, making a tight joint independent of the upper edges ofthe mouth of the bottle, which often are broken or injured by carelesshandling. When the bottle is being opened the elasticity of thethickened part of the packing-flange contracts to its original shape andsize, and throws the stopper up above the mouth of the bottle.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A compressible packingpiece for a bottle-stopping device, providedwith a projection to attach it to a cap-piece, and surrounded by aflange of no greater diameter than the mouth of the bottle, andthickened near its circumference to supply material for making the jointentirely within the walls of the bottle-mouth, and arranged to operatesubstantially as described.

-2. The combination, in a bottle-closing device, of a cap-piece, acompressible packing piece, surrounded by a flange of no greaterdiameter than the mouth of the bottle, and

thickened at its circumference to supply the ference to supply materialfor packing the material for the joint, arranged to operate eujointentirely within the walls of the bottletirely within the bottle-mouth,substantially mouth, with a bottle, all arranged to operate in themanner and for the purposes set forth. substantially in the manner andfor the pur- 3. The combination, in a bottle-closing deposes set forth.

vice, of a closing mechanism, a rigid cap-piece, W. H. HICKS. acompressible packing-piece surrounded by \Vitnesscs: a flange of nogreater diameter than the mouth JAMES M. HICKS,

of the bottle, and thickened near its circum- HENRY PFEIFFER.

